It's so thrilling! You won't be able to take your eyes off it for even a second!
Just watching the performers doing acrobatic tricks such as handstands and standing on one leg on a 10-meter-high bamboo is thrilling! You can't take your eyes off the performers who perform the offerings on the swaying bamboo without safety ropes or safety mats.
Captivating performance on the stage in the sky, the thrill and tradition of bamboo art
Originally dedicated as a Nagasaki Kunchi performance, it is now a time-honored traditional performing arts event that is held five times over two days, October 10th and 14th, at Wakamiya Inari Shrine every year. It is said to have originated from the Arhat Dance that was introduced from China, and two young men in white robes and fox masks perform advanced acrobatics on a 15-meter-tall bamboo pole. In between tricks, they throw rice cakes, and at the climax, they release a chicken into the air. At the end, a female fox slides down from the bamboo, and a male fox also slides down the bamboo upside down, marking the end of the dedication performance. It is an important festival that is indispensable to the region, and has been designated as a national intangible folk cultural asset and an intangible folk cultural asset of Nagasaki City.
1. The stage is 10 meters above the ground, on swaying bamboo
2. The performers perform acrobatics to the accompaniment of flutes, shime-daiko drums, and shamisen, along with shouts of "Yoisho!"
3. Before the two young men perform, a child called a "ko-fox" climbs the lower bamboo and performs a scene.
4. The one with 15 rungs is called Medake, and the one with only two is called Odake. At the end, a male fox slides down the Odake upside down.
5. On the day of the bamboo arts festival, many spectators visit the temple grounds.
6. It's hard to tell from the photo, but there are scenes where screams can be heard as the performers perform their acrobatics on the swaying bamboo.
7. Along the way, rice cakes, which are considered lucky charms, are scattered, and at the end, a male fox throws a chicken into the air. It is said that whoever catches it will be blessed with good fortune.
Wakamiya Inari Shrine
850-0802-2 Irabayashi, Nagasaki City, 10-2
Phone: 095-822-5270
Bamboo Arts Festival Dates: October 10th and 14th *Held on the same days every year
14th/14:00~, 20:00~
15th/12:00~, 15:00~, 20:00~
The bronze statue at Kazegashira Park and the Kameyama Shrine are located very close to Wakamiya Inari Shrine.
There are plenty of sights to see around Wakamiya Inari Shrine, where Ryoma Sakamoto and other heroes also passed by.
Other highlights include the Watariden, which stands on top of a huge rock, and the square torii gate, which is made from square stones.
Once you've reached the base, you can walk along the stone bridge along the Nakajima River to the city center.
